Ladder support



Oct. 13, 1931. N. P. LARsEN LADDER SUPPORT Filed oct. 25, 192s Patented Oct. 13, 1931` UNITEDl STATES PATENT NEIL r. LA RsEN, or CLEVELAND, oHIo, AssIGNoR ro THE AMERICAN coAeH & :BODY COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, omo, A CORPORATION or omo LADDER lSUPPORT Application led October 25, 1928. Serial No. 814,882.

This invention relates to a device for supj porting ladders and the like and has particular application in connection with repair trucks used for telephone repair work.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for supporting sections of 'the ladder in grouped position in such a manner that the ladder sections will not become dislodged during transport and to hold them rigidly against rattling and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a securing means for the sections of the ladder which-'may readily be attached to or detached from the ladder sections.

With the objects above indicated and other objects herein explained in view, the invention consists in the combination and 'arrangement of elementsl herein described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device embodying the present invention attached to a motor vehicle repair cart;

. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the forward supporting means for sectional ladders with extended sections. In the drawings, 10 represents a moto vehicle of the usual type having a drivers cab 11 and an extended chassis portion 12 upon which is supported an inclosure 13,

preferably formed of sheet metal and adapt- Yed to receive the various instrumentalities and repair parts necessary in connection with telephone repair work for which the present invention is particularly applicable, although it is to be understoodthat the invention is not to be limited to this particular use. the present instance, the inclosure 13 is providedwith a flanged portion 14 extending preferably around three sides thereof and approximately midway between the top and bottom ofthe inclosure; This flange 14 is peculiar tothe particular type of inclosure herein illustrated and it will not be found on all types ofinclosures, thereby forming no part of the present invention, but being, for a purpose to be later herein referred to described.

. The ladder supporting device comprises a` forward ladder support having an upright l5 preferably of strap iron provided with an offset portion 16 at the lower end thereof, the end 17 extending substantially parallel'with the upright 15 and being riveted at 18 or otherwise suitably secured to the side of the inclosure 13. It will be noted that the offset portion 16 spaces the upright 15 a suitable distance from the side of the inclosure 13 so as to avoid the iiange 14 of the inclosure. Adjacent the upper edge of the inclosure 13 is a spool spacer 46 which is disposed between the side of the inclosure 13 and the upright 15 and connected respectively thereto by a bolt 19.

Adjacent the lower portion'of the upright 15 is a laterally extending U-shaped support 20preferably formed of strap iron having its inner flange riveted at 21 to the upright 15. This U-shaped support 20 is of suiiicientv width to receive therein the runners of the standard four-section type of ladder, in the arrangement preferably as shown in F ig.` 2.

Adjacent the upper end of the upright 15 is a substantially Z-shaped support 22 having its inner leg extending downwardly and riveted at 23 to the upright 15 while its opposite leg extends upwardly substantially parallel withthe upright 15 and spaced apart therefrom sufliciently to receive therebetween the opposite runners of the standard foursection type of ladder and preferably in the position shown.` It is preferable to have the free ends of the upright 15, Zeshaped support 22 and U-'shaped support 20 extend above the upper surface of the runners of the ladder when assembled in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

At the rear portion of the inclosure 13 is an upright 24 having an offset portion 25 similar to the odset portion 16 of the u right 15 so as to clear the flange 14 of the inc osure 13, the lower end 26 extending substantially parallel with the upright 24 and bolted or otherwise secured at 27 to the side of the inclosure 13. i The upper end of the upright 24 may be connected to the side of the inclosure by a bolt similar to the bolt 19, shown in Fig. 2, and spaced from the side wall of the inclosure 13 by a spool similar to the spool spacer 46 or the upper end of the upright 24 may be provided with an odset similar 'to the oHset 25 at the lower end and an extended portion similar to the lower portion 26 and be riveted or otherwise secured to the side wall of the inclosure. A U-shaped support 28 is bolted or otherwise secured to the upright 24 and in substantial horizontal alignment with the U-shaped support 2O of the forward support and is of suflicient width to receive the runners of the standard four-section type ladder in assembled position as illustrated in Fig. 2. A brace 29 preferably of strap iron extends diagonally between the outer leg of the U- shaped support 28 and the lower end 26 of the upright 24 being riveted at 27 and 30, respectively, to thereby reinforce the U-shaped support 28.

lt will be noted that the lower` runners of the ladder are supported upon the U-shaped supports 20 and 28, respectively, while the upper runners of the sections are supported at the front upon the substantially Z-shaped support 22 so as to maintain the sections of the ladder in substantially horizontal position. l

The runners 47 of the standard four-section tvpe ladder, herein illustrated, are connected by rounds 31 and assembled upon the supports assume the position shown in Fig. 2 so that the rounds 31 of the alternate sections are disposed between the runners 47 of the adjacent sections, so that it will be readily seen that pressure applied to the outermost section transversely will cause the sections of the ladder to be drawn into close proximity and thereby eliminate any tendency of the sections of the ladder to rattle or become disengaged.

This latter feature may be very effectively carried out in the following manner. A horizontally disposed rod 32 is slidably mounted in a pair of spaced clamps 33 bolted or otherwise secured to the front upright surface of the inclosure 13 as shown in Fig. 2, the forward end of the rod 32 being provided with a hook 34 adapted to engage with one of the rounds 31 of the outermost section of the ladder as clearly shown in Fig. 4. A hand nsaeea grip 35 is also formed adjacent the hook 34 to enable the operator to slide the rod 32 so as to engage or disengage the hook 34 from the round 31 as desired. When the hook 34 is in engagement with the round 31, asshown in Fig. 3, it is maintained under tension by means of acoil spring 36 which encircles the rod 32 and has one end abutting the front clamp 33 while the opposite end abuts a collar 37 pinned or otherwise secured to the rod 32. It will, therefore, be seen that in order to disengage the rod 32 from the round 3l, it is necessary to pull outwardly by means of the hand grip 35 against the tension of the spring 36 and to then oscillate the hook 34 about the axis of the rod 32 so that the hook 34 is moved away from the rounds 31. When moved to this position, the sections of the ladder, may be removed from their supports.

lt is sometimes customary to carry ladders composed of extended sections or in other words sections some-what longer than the standard sections which are illustrated in the drawings by dotted lines 38, shown in Figs. 1 and 4. To support the forward ends of these sections of the ladder, there is provided a substantially U-shaped member 39 preferably formed of strap iron, as illustrated .in Fig. 4, having its lower portion bolted at 40 or otherwise secured to the running board of the motor vehicle 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The upright portions of the U-shaped member 39 extend upwardly so that the free ends extend above the upper surfaces of the lower runners 47. The lower surfaces of the lower runners 47 are supported upon a substantially inverted U- shaped space member 41, preferably of strap iron having its depending lugs riveted at 42 or otherwise secured to the upright portions of the U-shaped member 39, this member being in substantially horizontal valignmentV with the U-shaped supports 20 and 28, respectively. rlhe U-shaped member 39 is reinforced by a strap iron brace 43 having its upper end riveted at 44 to the inner upright portion thereof while its lower end is riveted or otherwise securedV at 45 to the running board of the motor vehicle.

When the sections of the ladder are of the extended type just described, they may be arranged as illustrated in Fig. 4 and the same hooking or latching mechanism as already described operates in the same manner to maintain the sections in rigidly engaging position to thereby prevent the sections from rattling or becoming dislodged and lost during transit.

While l have described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited thereto as changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a ladder supporting device of the i' i character described, in combination With a supporting member, of spaced brackets provided with substantially horizontall aligned ladder supporting portions and a apted to be attached to said supporting member, a

member turnably mounted Withrespect to said su pporting member and having a hooked end turnable out of engagement with said ladder and adapted'to beturned to engage said ladder, and means for normally maintaining said hooked endinengagement with said ladder.

In testimony whereof, II**heren*,ntoafix my signature.

NE1L P. LARSEN. 

